Under the MOU the countries will share financial information to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of people suspected of money laundering and terrorist financing, it said.

The MOUs were signed in Brisbane, Australia earlier this month during the Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering.

The Central Bank said it also plans to sign similar MOUs with other FIUs in the region including India, Bangladesh and Japan.

"Money launderers and terrorist financiers are most often internationally connected and operate across borders," the statement said.

"Financial intelligence and authorities also need to be internationally organized to fight these activities.

"Therefore, there is a need for FIUs to co-operate with each other and to exchange information."

The statement said the MOUs will enable greater co-operation and co-ordination among FIUs in the exchange of financial intelligence.

FIUs have been established in more than 130 countries as dedicated institutions to fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and other unlawful activities.

The FIU of Sri Lanka's Central Bank has already entered into MOUs with Malaysia, Afghanistan, South Korea and Indonesia.